If you're planning a trip to New Orleans, or are a local looking for a staycation or a change of pace, this city boasts a wealth of beautiful hotels. Including fancy old favorites, newer hipster haunts, and hotels that may actually be haunted, here are our 15 favorite hotels to stay and play.

The Roosevelt New Orleans, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel

This Waldorf Astoria hotel has been a New Orleans legend since 1893, and today offers some of the best dining and drinking New Orleans has to offer. The hotel’s Domenica restaurant, headed by James Beard-winning Executive Chef Alon Shaya, is a must for Italian cuisine lovers, and the landmark Sazerac Bar, where you can enjoy the namesake drink, known as “America’s first cocktail.” The rooftop pool and the stunning lobby—if you’re in town during the holidays, come check out the splendid decorations—are enough to blow you away, too.

Nowhere but New Orleans has the beguiling mix of the islands and the French countryside, of prep and downhome, of style and comfort. It’s uniquely American yet completely foreign. And this time of year, it’s the perfect temperature to escape gloomy skies and embrace the sun. There is way more to do in New Orleans than can fit into 48 hours — or even a week — but we’d sure like to try. Here’s how we’d spend a weekend in the Crescent City, plus how we channel a little of that energy even when we’re staying home.

Bourbon Street gets the most press, but we recommend three other streets nearby: Royal, Frenchman, and Magazine. Spend the afternoon strolling down Royal Street for the best antique shops in town. Though only a street over from the boisterous Bourbon, it has a much calmer pace. Dine at one of Chef John Besh’s restaurants. We can personally recommend the whole roasted cauliflower at Domenica’s. Then hit up live music on Frenchman Street, known as the local’s Bourbon, and dance the night away. Catch some Zzz’s at the just-opened Ace Hotel in the art gallery heavy Warehouse district. After a morning exploring the galleries, head to the Garden District and shop the city’s top design shops along Magazine Street.

Whether it’s a simple plate of spaghetti, a luscious lasagna hot out of the oven or a sumptuous seafood specialty, we all have our favorite Italian dishes. Recently Top 5 Restaurants revealed the best restaurants serving the best Italian dishes. One of the restaurants goes as far as to employ real Italian nonni in the kitchen — is there anything more authentic than that? You’ll definitely want to keep this list handy the next time you’re craving a taste of Italy. See which five classic and comforting dishes made the list.

The Italian restaurant in America has changed in style probably more than any other genre of restaurant over the past several decades. Even as recently as 50 years ago, the term "Italian restaurant" conjured images of red and white checkered tablecloths, carafes of middling chianti, and a red sauce-heavy menu with classics like chicken Parmigiana that were more Italian-American than authentic Italian. Then something interesting happened: People got bored, and a new breed of Italian restaurant came onto the scene, able to rival even the highest-end French dining rooms.

One of the lasting Mardis Gras traditions, along with beads, costumes and parties, is the brightly colored king cake.

Carnival season, starting on Kings Day (Jan. 8) and ending on Ash Wednesday (Feb10 this year), is dominated by the eating of this cinnamon treat, which sparks massive lines at New Orleans area bakeries like Randazzo’s in Metairie and Haydel’s.

For home cooks, it’s all too easy to fall into a vegetable rut. Coming up with main courses for weeknight dinners is hard enough; very often, vegetables are the afterthought. Salad dumped out of a bag, or some out-of-season steamed asparagus or roasted brussels sprouts — these basics let us check the “green” box. But they are hardly inspiring.

New Orleans is known for its exquisite dining selections; however, mastering the art of the pizza is no small task. The Big Easy has proven up to the challenge, perfecting every aspect in the making of fabulous pies. From hefty deep-dish pizzas to the traditional New York-style, as well as some of the best flat-breads ever created, New Orleans can satisfy even the most critical New Yorker. — Read Full Article

Not all of those neatly bundled boxes and bags that people tote around town these days are full of Christmas gifts. Plenty are from restaurants, where lunch outings and holiday get-togethers are in full swing.

But while you might see the durable handle bags from Domenica or Compere Lapin or Desi Vega Steakhouse and think leftovers, for Matt Oertling they say something different.

Great hotels can inspire you, pamper you, and give you a much-deserved break from the humdrum routine of daily life. Europe may have hotels in former palaces, but there are plenty of outstanding hotels and resorts in the U.S. too, and in many ways, they tell the story of this country.

A partnership between two heavyweights—celeb restaurateur John Besh and his acclaimed protégé Alon Shaya—this splashy, happening hub in the Roosevelt Hotel operates with maximum panache, yet minimal fuss. To say that the pizzas at Domenica rival any found in Italy is almost an insult, because of course they do; fancy pastas like the dramatically black-and-white squid-ink tagliolini with blue crab enjoy equal fame.

In the South, cooking and eating aren’t just things that we do. Southerners of discriminating tastes actively seek quality cuisine, innovative restaurant concepts, and adventurous chefs who elevate the slow, steady approach of cultivating depth of flavor from locally cultivated ingredients to a veritable art form.

When traveling to a city, there are two main considerations — where are we going to stay and where are we going to eat. In many cases, these are two distinct endeavors: We’ll get a room here, and we’ll go out for food and drinks there. However, this approach can overlook another important option, the hotel restaurant.

If you burn the bird this Christmas, there are much better options than Chinese Turkey at Bo’ Ling Chop Suey Palace. Several restaurants in the New Orleans area are open up on the big holiday and will be offering up all the traditional meals without all the dishes to was.

The swanky Besh downtown spot will be offering up a special Christmas meal along with some longtime favorites like pizza. The restaurants offshoot Pizza Domenica will also be open at (4933 Magazine St, New Orleans). (Both will be open from 11a.m. to 11p.m.)